JUST $1

Words and Photo F LoBuono

Raising money for charity is not easy. It never really has been and under the current economic conditions it is only getting more difficult. Trying to convince people who may be struggling themselves to give to others who are actually even worse off can be counterintuitive. Still, they have to try. And in an effort to encourage people to give, non-profits suggest amounts to be donated but are also willing to accept anything people feel comfortable with. Sometimes, when things get really desperate, organizations even suggest donors "give until it hurts." This is generally reserved for those who are in positions of power and wealth.

I get it. We ALL benefit when we give charitably. Not only does the recipient gain but the giver does too. There is an inner satisfaction that comes with helping people in some way. In serving others, we are also serving ourselves.

However, I sometimes find fault in the messaging about giving. Certainly, the more one can afford to donate to a charity, the more one should actually give. However, by demanding that we rely on others to carry most of the burden we release ourselves from our own responsibility. People of means should be expected to give more - if they CHOOSE to. But I think we might do much better in the long run by changing the "message." Instead of encouraging a few give a lot, why not promote a lot give a little?

Here's a practical example. At today's Nyack Street Fair, as is my custom, I stopped at the both managed by The Soup Angels, a charitable organization that provides free food on a weekly basis to those in need in my hometown of Nyack, NY. As befitting their name, the volunteers hold large soup pots to collect $ from passersby at the fair. I always give them $1 - with an explanation (I'm sure they think I'm crazy or at least eccentric): "Here's $1. It's not a lot. But if EVERYONE who passed by your tent and gave you just $1, how much money would you have?" The crowd was estimated about 20,000. Do the math.

Could I afford to give more? Of course, I could and often do in other situations. However, I want to actively make the point I wrote about in an earlier paragraph: if everyone gave a little, in the end, we'd all get a lot.

I am not a religious scholar and certainly not a Jewish one. But there is a passage in the Torah (I believe - someone can help he out here) that says (paraphrasing): "It's not your JOB to save the world. That's a little above your pay grade. But neither are you relieved of your duties to do what you can to make the world a better place."

Just do your part. It's not so hard.